NASA's Artemis II mission set for March 2026 launch
NASA's Artemis II mission is aiming to launch no earlier than March 6, 2026, sending four astronauts on a 10-day trip around the Moon.
This will be the first crewed mission beyond Earth orbit in over 50 years—so it's kind of a big deal.
The mission's main goal is to make sure NASA's new Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft are ready for future Moon landings.
NASA has entered the final countdown to the Artemis II launch
NASA just wrapped up a major pre-launch test by fueling up the rocket and running through countdown drills.
Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen have entered quarantine—just to keep things safe and flexible as launch day approaches.
The crew will spend almost a full day checking out Orion's systems in high-Earth orbit
The crew will spend almost a full day checking out Orion's systems in high-Earth orbit before swinging past the far side of the Moon—about 7,600km beyond it.
They'll collect data on radiation and communications to help future missions.
And for safety? The flight path is designed so they can coast home using lunar gravity if something goes wrong with their engines.